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Crime & Safety

Burglar Strikes While Resident On Vacation

The following information was supplied by the Watkinsville police department.

Imagine coming home from vacation to find your home had been burglarized and ransacked.  That's what Watkinsville Police Chief Lee O'Dillon says happened to a resident of a 100 block address on VFW Drive.

Sometime over the last two or three weeks, a burglar broke into the back door of the home and damaged the apartment. Even from the street and nearby residences, the back door was not easily visible, O'Dillon said.  It had been forced open but ultimately closed up as if nothing had happened, he added, and no one knew until the victim discovered and reported the burglary on Sunday.

A computer and microwave were among the stolen items, O'Dillon said.

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There is a combination of things residents can do to help prevent burglars from striking while they are away, especially those that don't have an alarm system in their homes, O'Dillon said.

"The best thing is, if you've got a family member to keep a constant eye out, or a close neighbor you can confide in," he said. 

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If you will be gone for an extended period of time, you may also notify Watkinsville Police and ask for your home to be placed on the "Extra Patrol List," O'Dillon said.  The list is confidential, and officers are more than happy to step up patrols in your area while you and your family are away.

 

In his weekly news release,  O'Dillon recapped some of the other incidents that police responded to during the week ending Aug. 7.

Domestic Situation: Police were called to a domestic situation at a Felton Drive address on Saturday evening, Aug. 6. A woman reported her adult son was acting strange and threatening her. He was taken by ambulance to Athens Regional Medical Center for a mental evaluation.

Deer Collides With Car: Early Friday morning, Aug. 5, a deer  collided with a 2000 Chrysler Sebring traveling westbound on Whitehall Road at Second Street, causing minor injuries to the driver and damaging the vehicle.

Argument: Officers stood by at a Thrasher Drive residence on Aug. 1 where two adult siblings were arguing over personal possessions and living space inside the house until the situation defused.

Accident: Around 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 1, a 2008 Ford F-150 backed into a parked 2008 Chrysler Sebring in the front parking lot of the Watkinsville Post Office. No one was injured and only minor damage was reported.

Watkinsville police responded to a total of 30 calls within city limits between Monday, Aug. 1 and Sunday, Aug. 7.

 

For questions about this blotter, email stephanie.gross@patch.com.

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